Changes and Adjustments
by Slliz
Summary: Everyone changes. The boys of Big Time Rush weren't always the way they are now. Slowly, the boys are morphing into their current selves. Updated!
1. Fight

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Big Time Rush, no matter how much I would like to.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: The boys might be a little out-of-character for now, but this story is meant to show how they got to be how they are.

Carlos Garcia stood in front of the mirror for about an hour, just waiting for himself to suddenly look more appealing. He was twelve years old with minor acne and an extremely skinny form. It didn't help that he was really short. Four feet and eight inches, to be exact. It was picture day at school, and everyone was going to look their best. Unfortunately, Carlos didn't know how to look his best. He didn't find himself attractive at all.

He had once heard that you can't love anyone if you don't love yourself. This was why Carlos had no friends. Well that, and the fact that Carlos was deathly shy. As a child, Carlos didn't care what anyone thought of him, but this was junior high school, the point in his life when people judged you based on what you look like, what sports you play, and who you're dating.

Eventually, Carlos just threw his backpack over his shoulder and walked out the front door. His parents were still in bed and he didn't feel like eating breakfast. He stood at the bus stop, waiting for bus number 35. When it pulled up, Carlos sat in one of the front seats, alone, as usual. And when the bus reached the school, Carlos shuffled inside, his head down.

At 8:10, Carlos sat down in his first period class, English. He always sat in the middle, that way the teacher wouldn't call on him. The teachers never called on the kids in the middle, only the kids in the front who are smart and the ones in the back who never pay attention. Halfway through the book the class was reading aloud, _The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_, Logan Mitchell raised his hand. Logan was the smartest kid in the seventh grade. He sat two seats in front of Carlos.

The teacher called on Logan. Logan stuttered, "I-isn't Aslan m-meant to be a reference to, um, Jesus?"

"That is what most people believe, yes," said the teacher. "But, we are going no further with that subject. We're not supposed to discuss religion in school."

Logan's face turned bright red as another student read the next page. Carlos quickly scanned the room. His eyes first fell upon Dylan Slate and Kendall Knight. Dylan was the most popular guy in school, and Kendall was practically his bitch. Kendall did whatever Dylan told him to do. Dylan had his book sitting closed on his desk, even though everyone was supposed to be following along. He and Kendall were laughing, probably about something perverted and stupid. Carlos rolled his eyes. He hated people like that.

Carlos then observed James Diamond. James was insecure about himself, all because he was a few pounds overweight. Carlos somewhat felt sorry for James, because he and James were in the same boat: they both hated the way they looked.

Last names A through F were called to the auditorium for pictures. James got up and left, along with a fourth of the class. The teacher told the class that they could talk, since that fourth of the class would probably be gone for the rest of the period.

In second period, last names G through L were called. Carlos got up and followed a crowd of other people to the auditorium. While entering, he accidentally bumped into Kendall, who pushed him. "Watch where you're walking, Jose!"

"It's Carlos," mumbled the small boy. Kendall suddenly turned. "What?"

"My name is Carlos, not Jose," repeated Carlos.

Kendall shook his head, smiling. "Doesn't matter. You're all just a bunch of dirty pieces of shit."

Kendall turned to walk away, but Carlos turned him around using his shoulder. As soon as Kendall's mouth opened to say something else, Carlos punched him in the face. Immediately, people were crowded around them, chanting "fight" over and over. Kendall pushed Carlos to the floor, punched him, and mumbled, "You're dead, wetback."

Kendall repeatedly punched Carlos, until a teacher pulled him away. The teacher walked Kendall and Carlos down to the office.

Carlos and Kendall were made to sit in the same room with all of their books, separated by a rather long table. It was the conference room. Kendall shook his head. "Why the hell would they put us alone in the same room?"

"Maybe they want us to work it out and become friends," said Carlos. He huffed a sigh. "That's never gonna happen. I'm Hispanic and you're racist."

There was an extremely long period of silence. Then Carlos asked, "Do you like being Dylan's bitch?"

Kendall's jaw dropped. "I'm not his bitch."

"You kind of are," said Carlos.

Kendall shrugged. "I guess I just want to feel like a popular kid, you know?"

Carlos nodded a little. Kendall sighed. "Well, I don't know. He kind of does treat me like shit. And I wasn't racist until I found out that he was."

"So you're only racist because he is?" asked Carlos. "That's stupid."

Kendall shrugged again. It was silent again. Carlos laughed quietly. "You know, it's funny. I don't see why people make fun of Hispanics. I mean, we're smart enough to speak two languages. What is there to make fun of? Really."

"Maybe the people who make fun of you are just jealous," said Kendall.

Carlos smiled. "Why would anyone be jealous of me?"

Kendall shrugged yet again. "I don't know. I think it's because of your skin. I'm jealous of your skin. I'm fucking pasty white, and you're all tan and shit. You have great hair, too."

"If you had my skin you'd have all the pimples, too," said Carlos.

"There are ways to get rid of that," said Kendall.

Carlos shook his head. "Not for me. I guess I'll just have to wait until it clears up."

"It will clear up. There's not even that much."

Carlos nodded and then opened his book and continued reading. All was silent again.

**Can you wait for the next chapter? Yeah, me neither. Review please!**


	2. Fat

**Thank you for your reviews/criticism! :) Sorry it's taken me so long to post the second chapter. High school is killer! Here it is:**

James Diamond threw his backpack onto his bead and headed into the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror, poking at the fat on his neck. He shook his head and lifted up his shirt. James put his hand on his pudgy belly, close to crying. He put his shirt back down and went back into his bedroom. James lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Why did he have to be fat? Why did no one care about him? He hated himself.

Extremely bored, James stood up and walked downstairs. He was going to walk to the library. He didn't need a book or anything, he was just bored, and walking might help him burn some fat. James started the half-mile walk, his sides hurting halfway there. When James finally reached the library, he went to the books about haircare. Even though James hated his own hair, he loved styling other people's hair.

Out of the corner of his eye, James saw someone familiar walk past. He followed the person, realizing it was that genius kid Logan Mitchell. He tapped Logan's shoulder. The guy turned around, looking as if he was wondering why anyone would want to talk to him. James smiled. "Did you hear about that fight in school today?"

"Violence is p-pointless," stuttered Logan.

James nodded. "Yeah, it really is. Maybe if Kendall Knight wasn't such a stuck-up racist jerk, then it never would have happened."

"That's t-true," said Logan. He looked through some boring-looking science book. James watched him. He seemed to love whatever he was reading.

"What's that?" asked James.

"Biology. It's r-really, um, fascinating," answered Logan.

James nodded slowly. "Well, it was nice talking to you. I'm gonna go home and take a bath or something."

Logan nodded. "B-bye."

"Later." James turned and walked out of the library. He started his walk back home. Logan had seemed terrified of talking to James. James didn't talk to people often, so when he did, they were probably a little freaked out by it.

James felt that he was really similar to Carlos Garcia. Neither of them talked much, but people were surprised when they did. That's why it came as a surprise to James that Carlos had been in a fight. It would probably the talk of the school for at least a few months, until something even more extreme happened.

James sat down on his living room sofa and turned the TV on. He flipped through channels before someone knocked on his door. He opened the door to find none other than Logan Mitchell standing in front of him.

"Um, I just c-came to ask if y-you've seen my, uh, cat," said Logan just as awkwardly as ever.

James shook his head. "I don't think so. I'll tell you if I see her though. Did you just realize she was gone?"

"Y-yes. My m-mom told me w-when I, um, got home that he was m-missing," answered Logan.

James nodded slowly. "Do you maybe wanna come in and hang for a few minutes?"

Logan's jaw dropped to the ground. No one had ever asked him to hang out with them. He was just the nerdy kid, the pushover, the dork. Logan had always had the feeling that no one wanted him around. Logan nodded his head in a jerky fashion. "Uh, sure. S-sounds good."

James let Logan into his house. "Great. You can set your book anywhere."

Logan set the biology book he'd been reading at the library on the table. James sat down on the sofa, and Logan sat down beside him. "W-why are you, um, being n-nice to me?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't have many friends," said James. "I don't have any, actually. I don't like to be social, because I'm insecure about yourself."

"W-why?" asked Logan. "You sh-should, um, love who you, um, are. I l-like the w-way I, um, am."

James snorted. "It's kinda hard to love myself when I'm so fat."

"Y-you're not that, um, fat. E-everyone has a l-little, um, baby fat," said Logan.

"You don't."

"That's, um, b-because I have a f-fast metabolism," explained Logan.

James nodded slowly. "I wish I had one of those. I'll just have to work all this off eventually."

"Maybe you could, um, hire a p-personal trainer," proposed Logan. "Your m-mom is kind of, um, rich, r-right?"

James laid back, resting his head on the armrest of the couch. "Yeah. She is, but she wouldn't pay for a personal trainer for me. She tells me I should love myself the way I am."

"Th-that's what I, um, think, t-too." Logan smiled at James.

James smiled, closed his eyes, and shook his head. Logan checked the wall clock. "Oh. I sh-should be l-looking for, um, my cat. S-see you later. I'll, um, t-talk to you in school tomorrow."

"Bye!"

Logan left, and James sighed. So he finally had a potential friend. It was about time two extremely outcasted people met each other properly. James then thought of Carlos. Carlos was another of the outcasted people. James just hoped the whole tough-guy thing wouldn't go to his head. It was always annoying when that happened.

So James had a friend. And he could possibly have another one, after Carlos's in-school suspension was done with. He would just have to put a plan into motion. After all, Carlos had only opened up to punch someone in the face. James thought it was worth it.

**Review, por favor!**


	3. Forgotten

**Again, thank you for your reviews!**

Thursday, Carlos and Kendall were finally off suspension. Since they were forced to spend so much time together, the two boys had become close friends. The same could be said for James and Logan. Logan came over to James's house every day after school. He had finally found his cat with a litter of kittens behind the library. Logan promised one of the kittens to James.

In English class, the teacher told Carlos that he would have to get the notes from someone. After class, James approached him. "Hey, Carlos. You can borrow my notes if you want to."

"Thanks, James," said Carlos. James handed Carlos his notebook. Carlos shoved it into his backpack, and then he turned around to walk away. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around. "Why are you talking to me all of a sudden?"

"Well, I just thought that we could be friends, since neither of us really don't have any friends. I mean, I have Logan, but that's about it," explained James.

Carlos nodded slowly. "Kendall and I are kind of friends now."

"You could have another friend." James smiled. He held his hand out.

Carlos shook James's hand, smiling back. "What do you have next period?"

"Science. It's right across the hall from your history class," answered James. "We can walk together."

And with that, Carlos and James walked upstairs to their respective second period classes.

Elsewhere, Kendall sat down next to Logan in the health classroom. He and Logan had never spoken a word to each other, even though they always seemed to sit near each other in the classes they had together. Kendall, being the jerk he was, always copied Logan's answers and got amazing grades.

Logan's pencil rolled off his desk and fell to the floor. Kendall picked it up and handed it to the smaller boy. Logan smiled. "Thanks, K-Kendall."

"No problem," said Kendall shortly.

A few minutes later, the health teacher assigned partners. She put Kendall and Logan together.

They had to make a poster showing how to properly wash your hands. Kendall shook his head and laughed lightly. "That's dumb. Everyone knows how to wash their hands."

"Yeah, but n-not everyone knows th-that, um, you have to use w-warm water and a-antibacterial soap every, um, time," explained Logan.

"Oh. Okay. Well, I suck at the facts, but I'm good at drawing. I'll provide the pictures and you provide the steps. Deal?"

"D-deal."

"Cool." Kendall nodded and started drawing on a piece of unlined paper the teacher had given him and the other students.

At lunch, Carlos sat down at James and Logan's table. Logan looked up and smiled. "I'm g-glad you're, um, joining us."

"Thanks," said Carlos. "Hey, I know someone who could help you with that stutter. I used to have one when I was little, only it was in Spanish."

Logan nodded. "Th-thank you, C-Carlos. That'd be, um, great."

"So Carlos, is Kendall going to be joining us, or no?" asked James.

Carlos shrugged. "I told him to sit with us, but he still has his head stuck up Dylan's butt. Less than before, but…"

Carlos trailed off. For a few minutes, it was completely silent at the table. Then Kendall sat down, breaking the silence. "Hey guys."

"H-hi," stuttered Logan.

James just gave a little wave. Kendall narrowed his bushy eyebrows and leaned in close to Carlos. He whispered, "I don't think James likes me."

"Just give them a little time," Carlos whispered back.

Kendall smiled at James and Logan. "So what's up guys?"

"N-nothing," said Logan.

James just shrugged.

"Okay, sorry, but I have to say it," started Kendall. "What is your problem with me?"

"You are obsessed with the biggest lughead in school. True, he's popular, but to get popular, he had to be a jerk to people like us three." James indicated himself, Logan, and Carlos. "I remember back in the first grade, when you were friends with a certain chubby kid. Oh yeah! That was _me_! And then you abandoned me to become popular with Dylan Slate! _That_ is my problem with you!"

"Wait. That-that was…you?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah! Yeah, it was me!" said James loudly.

Kendall's face turned red. He stared down at his tray. "Now I feel horrible. I'm so sorry, James. I didn't mean to just abandon you like that. It's just, everyone has a dream, and I dreamed of being popular, so I made it happen."

James crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the floor. "I accept your apology. All that really matters is that we're gonna be friends again."

"Right," smiled Kendall. Kendall looked at Logan. "Did you finish the steps for the poster?"

Logan nodded. "Y-yes I did."

Kendall smiled. "That's great. I can't get my drawings exactly right. The hands look weird."

"They d-don't have to be p-perfect," said Logan.

"I know. It'll just bother me if they aren't perfect. Or close to perfect, anyways."

Logan nodded. "Wh-whatever you say."

After lunch, Carlos and James had the same class, study hall, so they walked there together. When they sat down, James asked, "So, do you really think Kendall is being sincere?"

"Yeah. I really think so," said Carlos.

James nodded. "Alright. I'm just saying, but he already stabbed me in the back once. What's stopping him from doing it to you?"

"Oh my gosh! It was the first grade! Get over it!" yelled Carlos.

James stared at his desk for a moment, then started laughing. Carlos narrowed his eyebrows. "What? What's so funny?"

"I was just remembering how badly you sucked at talking back then. It was like…Spanglish or something. And your accent was impossible," laughed James.

Carlos hit James's chest with the back of his hand. "Not funny! It's not my fault my parents decided to move me up here when I could only speak Spanish!"

James nodded. "It's still funny."

Carlos rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

**Reviews help me sleep at night…just sayin'…**


	4. Fraud

**Thank you once again for your reviews and criticism!**

Two days after the boys had all started sitting together at lunch, Kendall and Logan presented their poster to their second period health class. Kendall did all of the talking, because Logan had his stutter. The teacher handed them their grade immediately after: an A. Kendall smiled at Logan. "Wow. Thanks to you, this is the first 'A' I've gotten in a long time."

Kendall patted Logan on the back. The two of them sat back down in their seats, and they didn't speak another word to each other for the rest of the period.

Carlos walked into the bathroom during his third period class. He didn't really have to "go", he just wanted to get out of class for a bit. Carlos looked at himself in the mirror. For whatever reason, a lot of his acne had cleared up. He had to admit that the face under all those pimples was extremely cute.

Carlos's felt his face turn red as Dylan Slate entered the bathroom behind him. Dylan stood directly behind Carlos, crossed his arms over his chest, and sneered evilly. Carlos turned around, not afraid anymore. "What do _you_ want?"

"I was just wanted to ask you what I should do with the jerk who stole my best friend," answered Dylan. He cracked his fingers, trying to look tough.

Carlos smiled and shook his head. "You're just embarrassing yourself. And by the way, Kendall has never been your best friend. He's just your lapdog. Or, he WAS your lapdog."

Feeling confident, Carlos started his way out of the bathroom. Then he heard Dylan laughed. Carlos turned around again. Dylan shook his head. "He's just playing you. All three of you. It's a joke. He's getting paid to be nice to you."

"I don't believe you," said Carlos, as he turned and practically ran out of the bathroom. It was just about time for break now, so Carlos found Kendall.

Kendall smiled. "Oh hey, Car-"

Carlos put up a hand. "Don't talk. I just saw Dylan in the bathroom, and he told me that someone is giving you money to be nice to me, Logan, and James. Is it true?"

"Um, well. It's, uh..." stumbled Kendall.

Carlos shook his head. "I can't believe this! _Never_ talk to me ever again, okay? And leave James and Logan alone, too."

Carlos walked away quickly.

At lunch, Carlos told the other two boys what had happened with Kendall. James shrugged. "I'm not usually one to say 'I told you so', but I told you so! No one like Kendall can ever be trusted!"

"I sh-should have kn-known he was just, um, u-using me for my b-brain," stuttered Logan, putting his head down.

"So should we be humiliated because we got played, or should he be humiliated because he got caught playing us?" James asked Carlos.

Carlos smiled. "A little bit of both. Mostly the second one. You should have seen how nervous he was when I asked him about it. He couldn't even get out more than two words."

"It's still embarrassing," said Logan.

James and Carlos both looked at Logan. James smiled brightly. "You just got out a whole sentence without stuttering."

"I've been seeing that, um, woman that Carlos r-recommended me to. She's h-helping a lot," said Logan. "She s-said I'd be st-stutter-free in a few weeks."

"That's great!" yelled Carlos, while James put a hand on Logan's shoulder.

After a huge period of silence in which the boys ate their food, Carlos said, "Do you guys wanna come over after school today?"

"Is there going to be lots of Spanish?" asked James. "Because Spanish confuses me. Like, a lot."

"A little bit of Spanish," answered Carlos.

"Okay, then," said James.

"Sounds g-great," said Logan.

After school, James and Logan walked to Carlos's house together. He had given them directions right after school had let out. They knocked on the door. A beautiful Latina woman opened the door. "Hola! You must be Carlos's friends! I am Señora Garcia. Come in. Carlos is back in the kitchen."

James and Logan came into Carlos's foyer and followed his mother back to the kitchen. Carlos was sitting at the table, dipping Oreos in a glass of milk. He waved as they entered. With his mouth full, he said, "Hey, guys."

"Carlitos! Do not talk with your mouth full!" yelled Sra. Garcia.

Carlos swallowed the bite in his mouth. "Sorry, Mamá. Come on, guys. Let's go upstairs."

Carlos chugged his milk and set the glass in the sink. Sra. Garcia quickly washed it and put it away. Carlos led the way to his bedroom. His bedspread and his lamp were both purple. James snorted a laugh. "Really? Purple?"

"What? It's my favorite color," said Carlos. He threw himself onto his bed. James and Logan laughed.

James sighed. "You know, forget Kendall. He's missing out on something by not being friends with us. All he has is a jerk that treats him like crap, but if Kendall's going to be a jerk, then he deserves to be treated like crap. If he really would have become friends with us, then he could actually be having fun."

"But I told him to never talk to us again, so that's not gonna happen," explained Carlos.

"We don't n-need anyone else. We're just fine," said Logan.

"True that. To us three," said Carlos, putting his hand out with his palm facing downward. James put his hand on top of Carlos's, and Logan put his hand on top of James's. They pulled their hands away a moment later and smiled. It would just be the three of them for a while.

**Most people need food and water to survive. I need reviews. ;)**


	5. Flirt

**Thank you very much for the reviews! Sorry I haven't updated lately. I've been either busy or depressed. You know how life can be.**

A month after Kendall was found out, Carlos, James, and Logan sat around in James's huge bedroom. James's dad was an extremely successful hair stylist, and his mom was called the "Estee Lauder of the West Coast", so the Diamond Family was more than well off. For about the thousandth time, Logan randomly said, "You know, maybe Kendall feels bad about what he did."

Carlos rolled his eyes. "Logan, I think that if Kendall did feel bad, he would at least try to apologize."

"Yeah. And I don't think that's going to happen any time soon," said James. He was lying down on his bed and eating powdered donuts. James had learned that he wasn't going to lose weight any time soon. He had just accepted it. He could always lose weight when he got to high school.

Logan, whose stutter was completely gone, was now obsessed with reading his boring science books out loud. James and Carlos always begged him to stop, but he just kept right on reading. He only stopped when either James or Carlos tackled him to the floor. It was usually Carlos that tackled him. Carlos had recently become a little ball of energy.

School had become very different. No one picked on Logan, Carlos, or James anymore. They had actually become pretty well liked by most people, excluding Dylan Slate. Carlos noticed a certain new girl making eyes at him from across the classroom one day. He waved a little. After class, she approached him. "Hi. I'm Candace."

"Carlos." They shook hands. Without saying another word, Carlos turned and walked away. Candace looked completely confused. Logan came to Carlos's side in the hallway. "Um, what was that about? You just completely ditched her when she obviously likes you."

"I'm not interested in her," said Carlos shortly.

Logan nodded. "So then you wouldn't mind if I asked her out?"

Carlos shrugged. "Nope. Go ahead. I have my eyes on another person completely."

"Oh. Do I know her?" asked Logan.

"Kind of," said Carlos. "I didn't even realize that I liked this person until now. Not until Candace introduced herself to me and I realized I wasn't one bit interested."

"So who is it?" asked Logan.

Carlos shook his head. "Nope. I don't give out information that easily."

"Please!" begged Logan.

Carlos continued shaking his head. "Absolutely not. You're going to have to figure it out yourself, because I'm never going to tell you."

Logan pouted. "Well, I'm gonna go get a water from the machine."

"Okay. Bye." Carlos kept walking down the hallway as Logan turned and walked the other way. Carlos slid against the lockers until he came to the locker of James Diamond. James arrived, put in his combination, and opened his locker. Carlos cleared his throat. James smiled at him. "Sorry. I spaced. Didn't see you there."

"It's cool. So what are you doing after school?" asked Carlos.

James shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. Why?"

"How would you like to go see that new Adam Sandler movie with me?" asked Carlos.

James shrugged again and pulled a book out of his locker. "You mean, just us, or with Logan, too?"

"Just us. Logan has some big test to cram for tonight." Carlos actually didn't know what Logan was doing that night. He just fabricated some story. It was a good thing Carlos was a very believable liar.

James nodded. "Okay. Just us, then. What time?"

"3:50, right after school. We can just walk there together," answered Carlos.

James nodded again. "Alright. I'll be there."

"Okay." Carlos walked away, his heart beating in his ears. If he was feeling what he really thought he was feeling, this night would be a date for him. Still, feelings could change, especially when you're only in the seventh grade.

Right after school, James met Carlos in front of the school. Carlos's smile stretched from ear to ear. For whatever reason, Carlos had been all smiles lately. James was starting to see a change in Carlos. It was something he had never seen before. Like James made Carlos happy or something. Like James made Carlos _too_ happy.

But that was impossible. Carlos never shut up when he had a crush on a girl, which was all the time. It was a new girl every week. There was no way Carlos could be into James like that. James was a guy. The only thing girls and James had in common were boobs and a love of fashion. James made himself laugh with that last thought.

Carlos's face turned red. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking," said James.

Carlos looked away. "Okay."

James and Carlos took their seats in back of the theater. Carlos didn't like to be close to the screen, because he always had to look up. James held the large popcorn in his lap, and Carlos grabbed a handful of it. James faked an angry face. "Who said you could touch this popcorn?"

Carlos's face turned red again. "Sorry."

"Carlos, I'm just kidding," said James. Without realizing what he was saying, James blurted out, "Jeez, what's with you lately?"

Carlos's tan face turned even more red. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Um...nothing. Forget I even said anything." James scooted away from Carlos a little in his seat. Carlos did the same thing. For the rest of the movie, there was nothing between Carlos and James but a huge awkward silence.

When the movie was over, James and Carlos walked about to the sidewalk. They looked away from each other for about five minutes. Then, James said, "Okay. Well, I'll see you tomorrow. This was fun."

"Yeah. Fun." Carlos turned and started his walk home. When he got there, he ran up the stairs and locked himself in his room, jumping onto his bed. He covered his face with a pillow and screamed into it. Why did life have to be so difficult?

**Hope you liked this chapter! Chapter 6 is coming soon! KakashiWave, if you're reading this, go away and don't come back! Leave nice reviews, please!**


	6. Friends

**I'm just about to delete my whole account, because people are being difficult, all because someone who was not me did something wrong and uncalled for. If you don't want me to delete my stories and my account, let me know. It would make me happy. Thanks!**

James had tried to forget the movies, and he and Carlos just moved on. They didn't talk about it again, even though nothing too terribly awkward had actually happened. Before either of them knew it, it was springtime.

Kendall had been miserable as of lately. He was starting to see just how much he was being used by Dylan and the other guys in the popular crowd. He should have stopped the deal and just become actual friends with Carlos and the other guys. If he left Dylan's side now, he would be completely alone, unless the guys would accept a huge apology.

The last day before Easter break, Kendall approached the table where the guys sat. Carlos looked up at me. "What the hell do _you _want?"

"I want to apologize, for everything," started Kendall. "It was really wrong of me to do what I did, and I'm really, truly sorry for all of it. I realize now that you guys could turn into my true friends. Dylan's never really been my friend. He's always kind of just been a bully that somehow manipulated me into doing whatever he wanted me to do."

Carlos looked from Logan to James and back again. James shrugged, and Logan nodded. Carlos stood up and held out his hand. "Welcome back to the table, Kendall."

Kendall smiled and shook Carlos's hand. "Thanks, guys. This really means a lot to me. I'll never screw up our friendship ever again."

"To be honest, I've really missed you being around, even after what you did," admitted Logan.

"I think all of us missed you," stated Carlos.

James shrugged. "Maybe just a little bit."

Kendall's smile grew. He sat down at the table. James narrowed his eyebrows. "Where's your food?"

"I just wasn't hungry," said Kendall.

James moved his tray in front of Kendall. "You're sharing my lunch with me. I don't need all of this crap anyways. I've kind of forgotten about watching what I eat lately."

"Thanks," smiled Kendall. He picked up James's breadstick and took a bite of it. James picked up his fork and started poking at his pasta. Everyone was really silent for whatever reason. They just ate and looked around. It was a little bit awkward. Logan laughed. "There's been a lot of awkward going on lately, hasn't there?"

Carlos's face instantly turned red. He glanced at James. James's own face turned a little pink. They looked away from each other. Carlos looked up as Candace appeared at the table. She beamed. "So, I decided to just come right out and say this. It's taken me a few months to even get enough courage, but would you like to go see a movie with me tonight?"

Carlos glanced at James again. "Sure. Okay. What time?"

"Um, four," said Candace. Her smile seemed to grow, though it seemed impossible. "And then, if you want, we can get some dinner or something after?"

"Sounds good," said Carlos. "I'm guessing we're just walking there after school?"

Candace nodded a little bit. "Okay. Bye! See you after school!"

Candace turned and walked away quickly. Carlos smiled and sighed. James swallowed. He quickly replaced his disbelieving face with a big smile. "So you have a date! That's great."

"Yeah. It is great," said Carlos. He gave James a look he really didn't mean to give him. It was a look that said, "Whatever you thought about me before, you were very wrong."

James bit his lip, nodded his head, grabbed his tray, and walked away from the table. Kendall looked at Logan. "I'm extremely confused."

Logan just shrugged.

Carlos met Candace in front of the school right after the last bell rang. She began talking about some pair of shoes she really wanted. Carlos could think of nothing but how badly he felt for looking at James like that. It was really uncalled for. It seemed that nothing would ever be normal between James and Carlos. Carlos had royally messed that up, and there was no clear way to fix it.

Finally, Carlos and Candace reached the movie theater. They bought their tickets and sat down in the correct auditorium. As soon as the movie started, Carlos felt something hit him in the back of the head. He turned around to see Dylan Slate sitting three rows behind himself and Candace. Carlos decided to just ignore him. It was easier than causing a scene in public.

Multiple pieces of popcorn hit Carlos in the back of the head. He sighed loudly. Candace put a hand on his arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's just, Dylan Slate is back there throwing popcorn at the back of my head," answered Carlos.

Candace turned around to look at Dylan Slate. "Hey, Gorilla! How about you put the popcorn in your mouth instead of throwing it at people like an immature loser!"

Carlos started laughing. Candace turned back around, a huge smile on her face. "You should see the look on his face."

Carlos and Candace laughed for about ten minutes straight. Carlos put his hand on top of Candace's. "You're great."

"Thanks. You're pretty great yourself," said Carlos. He didn't feel any popcorn hit him in the back of the head for the rest of the movie.

When the movie was over, Carlos and Candace walked out to the front sidewalk. Carlos looked up and down the road. "Where do you want to eat?"

"Doesn't matter to me."

They ended up going to a little diner on the corner. They both ordered the Megaburger, a huge burger with everything a burger could have on it. The burgers took about an hour to eat. After eating them, Carlos and Candace ordered two ice cream cones and then exited the diner.

"So, how are James and your other friends?" asked Candace.

Carlos's face turned red yet again. He'd forgotten about James over the course of his date. He didn't want to think about him now, but he couldn't help it. Hearing James's name instantly triggered the feelings and the guilt. Carlos cleared his throat. "Good. They're, um, good."

Candace nodded. "That's good."

"Yeah."

**Please review! And tell me if you want me to stay and keep this story going, please.**


	7. Fixed

**This chapter pulled itself out of my head. I wasn't going to update until later, but I think this story needs more. I still don't know whether I should slash or not...Hmm...If you think I should slash, review with an "S". If you think I shouldn't slash, review with an "N". I will let you decide! Here we go!**

The second day of Easter break, the boys stayed over at Logan's house. Well, Kendall, Carlos, and Logan stayed at Logan's house. James had made up some excuse that he had to go take care of his sick aunt or something. Carlos knew that James didn't want to come just because of him. He had screwed things up beyond repair. Knowing that he was the reason that James wasn't there made Carlos a little depressed.

It was two o'clock in the morning, and Kendall was already asleep. Logan, however, was still awake, playing videogames. He leaned towards Carlos. "Who you texting? James?"

"No. Candace. I _wish_ James would talk to me," said Carlos. He scrolled through the last conversation he and James had had over text message. It had been over two months earlier. That was a long time to not text each other.

Logan looked confused. "Yeah, um, what is going on between you and James, anyways? I don't understand why he's suddenly moody."

"It's kind of a long story," said Carlos.

"Make it short."

Carlos sighed and looked at Logan. "Well, way back, a few months ago, James and I saw a movie together, alone. I kind of thought that I...liked James back then, and some slightly awkward things were said. We got awkward around each other all the time after that. Then, when Candace asked me out, I gave him the rudest look in the history of the world, and now he's pissed at me."

"What do you mean by 'liked James'?" Logan asked Carlos.

Carlos sighed again. He closed his eyes and rubbed them. "I mean that I thought I had a crush on James, but that's impossible. James is a guy. I'm not into guys. At least I don't think I am. I really don't need anything else on my plate right now, so I'm not even going to think about that."

"Are you tired?"

"Not really. It wouldn't matter either way," answered Carlos. "I couldn't sleep even if I was tired. My head is completely filled with thoughts. I need some aspirin. Do you have any?"

"Yeah. Hold on." Logan disappeared out of his bedroom for a few minutes. He returned with two aspirin and a small Dixie cup of water. Carlos swallowed the aspirin and then drank all of the water. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." After a long period of silence, Logan asked Carlos, "Are you going to be okay?"

Carlos had been lying down. He sat up. "Yeah. I'm okay now, I just feel really bad about what I did to James. I just want him to be my friend again."

Logan listened and nodded his head. "I really don't know what to say. I could try to get James to talk to you again, but it's not really my place."

"You're saying that I should talk to James myself, aren't you?" asked Carlos.

"Maybe..." said Logan. Carlos rolled his eyes.

The next day, Carlos rang the Diamond Family's doorbell. Neither of the cars were outside, but that hardly meant anything: James's parents constantly worked. James opened the door. His face instantly turned pink. "Um...hey..."

"Hey," said Carlos.

James stepped to the side. "Please. Come in."

Carlos entered James's house and sat down on the big sofa in his living room. "So I'm just gonna come right out and say this, because I feel really bad. I'm sorry for that look I gave you. I have no idea why I did it, exactly. Maybe it was to tell you that...to tell you that I didn't really like you like I thought I did..."

Carlos felt his face start to turn red. He didn't look at James. Instead, he stared at the hard wood flooring. James opened his mouth, closed it again, and then said, "I had no idea you liked me. I knew there was something awkward going on that day at the movies, but I never would have guessed that you liked me."

"I only _thought_ I liked you. I got over that. The only girl...well, person, I like now is Candace," explained Carlos. "Please don't think that I like you."

"I don't. I don't think that," James assured him.

"Okay. Good. Thanks," said Carlos.

James smiled. "You're welcome."

Carlos stood up, ready to leave. James stopped him. "Wait. I need to say something. I kind of maybe did notice that you liked me a little bit. I'm responsible for all the awkwardness. I didn't mean to freak you out or anything."

"You didn't freak me out," said Carlos. "And just so you know, I like you better the way you look now. I think that if you lost weight, you'd be a knockout, and you'd turn into an arrogant jerk. Maybe you should just stay the way you are now."

James nodded. "I'll take that into account. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Bye." Carlos left James's house and walked back home. James closed his front door and smiled. So Carlos used to like him. Maybe he could find a way to bring out those feelings again.

**Shorter than most chapters, but at least I gave you two chapters in a row. So, slash (S) or no slash (N)? You decide!**


	8. Fathers

**OMG, I feel like I've abandoned you guys! This chapter is going to be a bit longer, just because I haven't updated in SO LONG! Well, last time, I asked you if you wanted slash or not. The verdict is 14 and a half for slash and three and a half for no slash. That means slash won! If you didn't want slash, sorry. Majority rules, my children. Only Jarlos slash will happen, though. No Kogan.**

Carlos sat down in his living room. It was the last day of Easter break, and he was dreading going back to school. Even though he and James had seemingly worked everything out, they hadn't talked since Carlos told James that he thought he liked him. Carlos's mother Sylvia came into the living room and threw her keys onto the couch beside Carlos. She sighed loudly. Carlos narrowed his eyebrows. "What's wrong, Mamá?"

"Your father wants to move to California!" yelled Sylvia.

Carlos's eyes widened. "No! We can't! I just got a girlfriend and everything is just starting to go right here!"

"I know, Carlitos," said Sylvia. "But you know your father. He's so stubborn."

Carlos sighed angrily. He jumped up and left his house before his mother could say anything else. He started walking aimlessly. He thought about going to Candace's, but she had family staying with her.

Carlos ended up knocking on James's door. As soon as he did it, Carlos suddenly wished he hadn't; he and James hadn't spoken since Carlos told James that he thought he used to like him.

James opened the door. He was smiling. Carlos smiled back. He felt his face flash red as he paid more attention to James's outfit: James was wearing nothing but a pair of plaid shorts. "Hey, Carlos. What's up?"

"Uh, my...um...Dad wants to move to California," said Carlos. It seemed like it took him forever to get the words out. His mouth suddenly felt dry. He swallowed. "Do you have something to drink?"

James nodded and motioned for Carlos to come in. Carlos followed James to the kitchen. James handed Carlos a Dr. Pepper from the refrigerator. Carlos opened it and took a big drink. He stared at James and wiped his mouth off. "So what do I do about my dad?"

James shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe if you tell him how great your life has been lately, he won't want to move anymore."

Carlos huffed. "I doubt it. My dad is extremely stubborn."

James opened his mouth to say something, but then his mother, Brooke, entered the room. She wasn't wearing any make-up and her hair was untidy and frizzy. Carlos looked confused. Brooke's eyes were red, as if she'd just been crying. Brooke got a Corona from the fridge and left the kitchen. Carlos looked at the space she had just occupied. "James, is everything okay here?"

James closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. He took in a deep breath and then let it out. "Dad left us."

Carlos couldn't believe it. James's parents had always seemed so happy together. "Why?"

"He's gay," said James, almost too quietly for Carlos to hear. Carlos could feel his heart beating in his ears. James looked so sad. He just wanted to hug his friend, but he felt that that would be too awkward, especially because of what Carlos had told James only a few days ago.

"I don't know what to say," said Carlos. His eyes took in all of James's appearance; his hazel eyes, his perfect hair, and his soft belly. Carlos suddenly looked away. This was not happening. He was not feeling this way again. Carlos Garcia did not have a crush on James Diamond.

Carlos set his soda can on the counter. "I'm just gonna go."

"What? Why?" asked James. He sniffed. Carlos hadn't noticed that James had started crying. Carlos sighed. He didn't know what he should do. If he left, James would be mad at him again. If he stayed, Carlos didn't know what would happen. He would probably end up doing something he would instantly regret.

"Okay, I'll stay," said Carlos.

"Thanks." James sniffled again. He wiped a tear from his face, but there was no point to it, because another tear just replaced it.

Carlos took a step forward and hugged James. He was extremely warm, and he smelled microwave popcorn and Axe Chocolate. It was the best thing Carlos had ever smelled. It was intoxicating, and Carlos wanted to smell this smell every day for the rest of his life. He held the hug for longer than he probably should have. Carlos pulled away, and James sniffed again. Carlos looked at his friend's face. James looked so sad.

Before his conscience could tell him not to, Carlos leaned forward and kissed James. To his great surprise, James didn't pull away. Both boys moved their lips. Carlos felt James's hands run down his back, and he put his own hands on either side of James's face.

Carlos was the one to pull away. He stared at James's face. James looked both confused and excited at the same time. His eyes were wide, but he had the hint of a smile on his lips. "I thought..."

"Yeah, me too," breathed Carlos. He was a little out of breath. The kiss had lasted a lot longer than he had planned, probably because he had expected James to pull away. Carlos stared at James again. "Why-why didn't you pull away?"

James shrugged. "I guess I liked it. Maybe I like you..."

A smile appeared on Carlos's face. He was actually glad to hear it. Suddenly, Carlos realized his relationship with Candace was a lie. He really didn't like her. He liked James. He liked James and James liked him.

"Does-does that make me gay like my dad?" asked James.

Carlos shook his head. "Maybe you can like boys and girls. I think I like both. Well, I've never liked any boy other than you, so I'm not sure what I am."

Both boys were quiet for a moment. James started laughing lightly. "I'm just surprised you like me like this. You know, carrying this big thing around."

James put his hands on his stomach. Carlos shrugged. "Why are you surprised? Maybe I think it's cute or something."

James kissed Carlos hard. Carlos kissed back, and it felt right. It felt as if everything before this moment had just been make-believe, and this was what the real world was like. It was like waking up from a coma or watching a 3D movie for the first time. It was so liberating. The two boys felt that they could do anything.

**So what do you think? Please review! Next chapter will be set during summer vacation.**


	9. Free

**Well, I only got one review. What a letdown. Oh well. I plan to keep going.**

James stared at Carlos's picture in the seventh grade yearbook. He stroked the tan face slowly with his index finger. James and the others hadn't seen Carlos since he'd moved to California a year ago. It had been terrible timing, because James and Carlos had just started a secret relationship. Now everything was so different. James, Kendall, and Logan were completely different people now. Logan had changed from nerd to hot nerd, Kendall had changed from asshole to hockey junky, and James had changed from fat kid to toned god.

It was the summer vacation between eighth and ninth grades, and it had just started. James hadn't heard from Carlos in over four months, and it was worrying him. Carlos had promised he wouldn't let California change him, and James had believed him, but now he was starting to doubt it.

Logan came into James's bedroom, and James threw his yearbook into the corner. He smiled at Logan. Logan gave him a sad smile back. "How are you doing?"

Logan was the only person James had told about he and Carlos. Logan had accepted it. Now, he asked James if he was okay constantly. James flopped down on his bed and shook his head. "I'm worried about him."

"Don't be worried. Something tells me he's okay," said Logan, sitting on the bed next to James.

James looked at Logan. He narrowed his eyebrows. "How do you know?"

Logan shrugged. "I'm sure he's just busy or something."

James nodded. Quietly, he said, "Yeah. Busy screwing some guy."

Logan didn't say anything. He knew better. There was no way of getting James to be happy when he was moody like this. But this time was different. This time Logan was only quiet because he was trying to keep a secret from James. It was important that he keep this a secret, but he was having a hard time with it. Logan finally sighed. "Fine. I know Carlos is okay because he's coming back."

James looked like he didn't believe his friend. "When?"

"Right now," said a voice in James's doorway.

James looked up at Carlos. He gasped. Carlos had barely gotten any taller, but he looked more tan and more muscular.

James stood up and crossed his room slowly. He felt as if this were a dream. It couldn't be possible. After losing the only person he loved, he was getting him back. Before anyone could say anything else, James cradled Carlos's smooth face in his hands and kissed him. Carlos kissed back, wrapping his hand around one of James's wrists.

"I missed you," said Carlos very quietly.

"I missed you more," said James.

"Doubt it."

Logan watched the two boys, smiling.

James and Carlos moved away from each other as Kendall entered James's room. Kendall hugged Carlos. Carlos looked back at James. "Wow. I didn't even notice that half of you is gone."

"Yeah. Only the better part of me is still here," laughed James.

Carlos smiled. "I liked you better before, but this is just fine."

James felt his face flash red. He glanced at Kendall. Thankfully, the blonde wasn't paying attention. He was sitting at James's desk, balancing a pencil on the back of his hand.

"Can we talk somewhere, please?" Carlos asked James.

James nodded. "Logan, Kendall, can you guys go downstairs and help my mom with dinner please?"

Logan nodded, smiled, and pulled Kendall out of James's room. James and Carlos sat back down on the bed. James couldn't stop smiling. "So what do you need to talk to me about?"

Carlos fiddled with his hands. He rubbed them together then set them in his lap. "Um...in California, there was this boy. His name was Matthew, and we kind of had a thing together. We, um...Oh jeez...What I'm trying to say is that me and Matthew...did stuff..."

James's eyebrows raised. "Like sex?"

"Yeah," breathed Carlos. His face turned red. "I didn't want to at first, because we're so young, you know? But then he kept pressuring and one night I just gave in. I'm so sorry, James. That's why I haven't called or anything. It's because I felt guilty because I didn't save myself for you."

"It's okay," said James. "I didn't think you were ever coming back, so I kind of made peace with the fact that I couldn't have you like that."

Carlos nodded. He sighed. "So what now?"

"Now we get back to the way we were." James kissed Carlos. He pulled back and smiled. Carlos smiled back.

**A little on the short side, but it's so cute! :) Reviews, puhleez!**


	10. Fire

**Glad to see people are still reading this! :)**

James laid his head on Carlos's stomach. They were lying in the grass underneath the stars. They had decided to go camping to take advantage of summer vacation. It was just the two of them, because they still hadn't exactly revealed their relationship to Kendall. James suddenly sat up. Carlos sat up, too, smiling at James.

James wasn't smiling. "So why did you do it?"

Carlos looked honestly confused. "Why did I do what?"

James let out a huge sigh. "Why did you have sex with Matthew? It's all I've been able to think about ever since you came back. I know you said you were pressured and everything, but why didn't you just break up with him instead of giving in so easily?"

"Um, I-" struggled Carlos. "James, I really don't know. I don't."

"That's not a very good answer." James stood up and stepped to the other side of the fire, hovering his hands above it. Carlos followed him, putting a hand on his back.

James scooted away. "Don't touch me, please."

"James, please," said Carlos.

"No, Carlos," said James, trying to stay calm. He met Carlos's sad eyes. "Carlos, I said that it was okay before because I hadn't had the time to think about it, but now that I have thought about it, I just can't believe it. You've already given yourself to some other guy, and now every time you touch me, it feels wrong, because someone has touched you like no one else has. Someone that's not me. I'm not sure if I can even get past it."

The firelight caught Carlos's face, and James saw that Carlos was crying. Carlos sniffed. "Please don't stay things like that, James. Please."

"I can't help it. It's how I feel," said James. He picked up a branch and poked the fire with it a few times. Carlos crossed his arms across his chest. Carlos stared at the fire blankly.

Carlos wiped the tears off his face and sniffed again. "So what happens now, James?"

James shrugged.

More tears fell down Carlos's face. James could hear the sobbing. He sighed. James looked up at Carlos. "I want to meet this Matthew guy. I don't want to fight him or anything. I just wanna meet the guy who stole you away from me."

Carlos closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I'm pretty sure you already know who he is. It's Matthew Gammon."

"Matthew Gammon?" asked James. "Matthew Gammon as in the actor Matthew Gammon?" **(made-up)**

Carlos nodded. "Yeah."

"Shit. He's hot," said James.

Carlos didn't say anything. "I'm sure I could probably arrange for him to fly out here sometime."

"Make it this weekend," said James.

Carlos nodded again. "Okay. Then we can have lunch together or something."

James nodded, still looking pissed. "But I'm sitting between you two, just in case either of you try anything."

"Alright," muttered Carlos.

"You can call him tomorrow. It's too late now."

"Okay."

Tears kept pouring out of Carlos's eyes. James didn't think Carlos would ever stop crying. He dropped his branch in the fire and walked around the pit to hug Carlos. "I'm only hugging you because I hate to see you cry, and because you're letting me meet this asshole."

"Okay," mumbled the Latino.

James held Carlos in the dark, and all was silent for a moment. Carlos looked up at James. "Could I possibly have a little kiss?"

James debated with himself for a moment. He finally sighed and pecked Carlos's lips with his own. "That will just have to do for now. You're lucky I actually kissed you."

Carlos nodded.

**In the next chapter, James will meet Matthew! :) And more stuff happens, but you'll just have to see!**

**Review please!**


	11. Fear

**Thanks for all the reviews, people! :)**

**Chapter 11 es aqui!**

James sat down beside Carlos and sighed. This was going to be very hard on both of them. Matthew wasn't at the restaurant yet, but he was on his way. Carlos kept glancing over at James, but James couldn't look at him. This whole situation just made James angry all over again. Sure, he had wanted to meet Matthew, but now he was finding it hard not to punch him in the face as soon as he arrived. It was only because Matthew had had something James had not had. He had stolen his Carlos.

"James," said Carlos very quietly. James looked at him for the first time that day. Carlos pointed across the dining room. There, standing in the doorway, was Matthew Gammon himself.

James had to admit that Matthew was hot. He was a few inches taller than James with black hair and piercing blue eyes. His build was similar to that of Taylor Lautner, and his skin was tan, flawless, and looked really smooth. At the moment, he was wearing a black v-neck t-shirt, blue skinny jeans, and red Converse tennis shoes.

Matthew spied Carlos and walked to the table. He smiled. "Osito. It's nice to see you. Nice to meet you, James Diamond."

Matthew held his hand out to James. James glared at the hand and pointed at the chair on the other side of him. Matthew retracted his hand and sat down in the chair. James looked back at Carlos. "Carlos, what the hell does 'osito' mean?"

"Teddy bear," said Carlos quietly.

"It's my little nickname for Carlos," said Matthew. James turned to glare at him again. Matthew put his hands. "Look, I only agreed to this to be polite. I could easily leave if you're just going to keep glaring at me like I'm Satan."

"That's a good nickname for you," smiled James. "See. I smiled. Was that polite enough for you?"

Matthew rolled his eyes. He and the others ordered their food.

Matthew smiled when the waitress put his plate in front of him. "So what the hell is this all about anyway? Osito said you wanted to meet the guy who stole him from you."

The guy air-quoted when he said "stole him from you". James blew air out of his nose. "Look, dick, it's already hard enough for me to not punch you in your smug little face. Try calling Carlos by his name, because you guys aren't together anymore, so you don't have a right to use pet names."

Matthew snorted a laugh and took a bite of his spaghetti.

"You are seriously not laughing right now," said James.

Matthew swallowed his food. "Actually, yes. Yes, I am laughing right now."

Without any warning, James punched Matthew on the side of his face. Matthew's head turned the side. The waitress approached the table. "I'm going to have to ask all of you to leave. We don't tolerate violence in this place. Take it far away from here."

When the boys were outside, Matthew rubbed the side of his face, laughing. James shook his head. "Keep laughing and you'll get more than just one punch."

"James, stop!" yelled Carlos. James turned to face him. Carlos grasped both of James's arms. "This is not just Matthew's fault! It's my fault, too! There's no way he is getting blamed for all of this! And you're being stupid and immature and using violence to solve things! Newsflash, James! Violence doesn't solve anything! It never does and it never will! So stop!"

James's jaw dropped. "Carlos, are you-are you really defending this guy?"

"Maybe I am, James," answered Carlos. "So what? What if you were Matthew in this situation? Would you not act exactly how he's acting?"

"No. I wouldn't."

"Bullshit," voiced Carlos bluntly. "You would act the same exact way, and I'm pretty sure if Matt were you in the situation, then he'd blame the both of us. You're acting just like you would have acted a year ago. That really says something about you, James."

"I don't think you have a right to yell at me here, Carlos!" yelled James.

Carlos rolled his eyes. Very quietly, he said, "Maybe we shouldn't have gotten back together so quickly."

James's eyes widened. He didn't even know what to say. Carlos's words echoed inside his mind. James didn't know what to do exactly, so he got on his knees. James looked up at Carlos. "Carlos, please don't do this! Don't leave me!"

Matthew snorted another laugh. Carlos looked at him. "Maybe you should just leave, Matt."

Matthew rolled his eyes. "Whatever Osito."

Carlos looked down at James. He pulled him to his feet and kissed him. "Thank you, James. Thank you for learning to get past this thing."

James kissed Carlos back. "You're welcome. It's taking a lot, but I'm sure I'll learn to get over it."

**Review?**


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